


Drowning in Scandals

by SeoulWings13



Series: LiT - D.Min/Dongho Centric [1]
Category: Lost in Translation (Webcomic)
Genre: Edited, Everything Hurts, False Accusations, Gen, Indifferent, Mental Instability, Physical Abuse, The Author Regrets Nothing, Whee, reupload, rey why did you write this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 02:20:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28717185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeoulWings13/pseuds/SeoulWings13
Summary: Dongho takes Jaewon's place as the womanizer of the group.
Relationships: Ahn Jaewon | Wyld & Kim Daehyun, Ahn Jaewon | Wyld & Lee Minsoo, Ahn Jaewon | Wyld/Kang Dongho | D.Min/Kim Daehyun/Lee Minsoo, Ahn Jaewon | Wyld/Kim Daehyun/Lee Minsoo, Kang Dongho | D.Min & Lee Minsoo, Kim Daehyun/Lee Minsoo
Series: LiT - D.Min/Dongho Centric [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2167359
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Drowning in Scandals

**Author's Note:**

> yes this is a republish
> 
> yes it's different
> 
> I apologize to yall who were forced to read the old version. It sucked.

Dongho noticed Jaewon was off. How could he not? The empty bottles of foundation and wrappers of numerous energy bars littered his room. Jaewon was frazzled and moving all over the place. His skin tone was more makeup than actual skin coloring, and his frame was so slim, the wind could knock him over. Dongho watched Jaewon come home late, his dark eyes hidden under his hair and a hoodie. He watched Jaewon barely eat and zone out at the most random of times. It worried Dongho, to say the least. 

Jaewon refused to tell him what was wrong. Every question was deflected, every word of concern was waved off. 

_I'm fine._

He kept insisting he was fine, but chapped lips and eye bags said otherwise. Finally, Dongho just couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to know what was going on, why Jaewon was avoiding their texts and was constantly summoned into the CEO's office. It wasn't anything good either. Jaewon always looked so small and scared when the summons arrived. Dongho anxiously waited for the time where he could find out what was wrong.

It may be slightly hypocritical, Dongho wasn't the best at self-care, but he was better than what Jaewon was looking like. He looked less like an idol and more like a hobo. 

Jaewon had passed out in the break room, halfway between putting on a shirt. His back was a mess of green and blue bruises. Dongho was the one who walked in on the unconscious member. His face left a flesh-colored imprint on the bed and Dongho rushed for makeup wipes. Gently, the layers of makeup came off of the redhead's face revealing purplish bruising and bags resting under his eyes. Jaewon's lips were cracked and bleeding. The boy was incredibly light and pale. Dongho looked at the phone clutched in Jaewon's hand. It was another summon to the CEO's office.

At that moment Dongho made a decision. He would go in Jaewon's place until his fellow member was well healed and rested. It was stupidly suicidal, but in the heat of the moment, it was the only option that made sense. Slowly he made his way to CEO Park's office. The CEO only smiled when he saw Dongho enter the room. 

"I'm assuming Wyld couldn't make it?"

"He's passed out on the floor."

"And why are you here?"

"To take his place."

"You? I mean, why not. You'd make a for a lovely scandal, wouldn't you?"

Dongho looked confused. "You mean?"

"Yes, everything is orchestrated by me. "

"Why?"

"Publicity. It's all about the money. You have no idea how much these scandals bring into the company."

"Why would you pick him?"

"He was the easiest target."

"You've destroyed him."

"He's a product, D.Min. Remember that."

"He's a person."

"You wanted to take his place?"

"Yes."

"Then beg."

"Excuse me?"

"If you're so desperate, beg and I may consider swapping Wyld out for you."

Dongho knelt, his head bowed. "Please. Please, replace Wyld with me."

A hand connected with his cheek, "Lower."

Dongho winced, his face stinging from the slap. Drawing his body lower to the floor, he felt a foot resting on his back. It was pressing down harder, forcing the breath from Dongho's frame. He was choking on his own saliva, the pressure on his back immense. 

"Please... p-please replace Wyld. I'll take his-" A swift stop came down on Dongho's back. The male coughed, straining to force the words out. "Place."

The kick came again on his left shoulder blade. The pain was white-hot and incredibly intense, and Dongho was shaking incredibly. The foot moved to the nape of his neck, forcing his chin into the hard tile of the floor. He was being leered at, made to feel small and worthless.

_If only Dongho knew Jaewon was going through this sooner._

"Keep begging."

The string of pleading words tumbled from Dongho's mouth. He was begging to take the pain. It wasn't logical, but it was emotional. Sometimes emotions were stronger than anything else. Dongho let pearly tears drip down his face crafting intricate lines down his face. Finally, the CEO let him kneel, his face off of the floor. 

Dongho didn't move, too scared to rise. 30 minutes had passed. Only 30 minutes. It had taken 30 minutes for the CEO to completely scare him senseless. It seemed to be the correct response because there were no more blows.

"Alright. Go, make a scandal, cause the media to blow up. I don't care how you do it. Come back to me when you're done. And if the opportunity presents itself, don't resist, no matter how uncomfortable you get." 

Dongho nodded and excused himself from the room. His shoulder hurt, his neck hurt, he was covered in tears and dust. A quick peek at Jaewon showed the boy was still asleep. Dongho needed a girl or something. A guy would work, he just needed to make a scene. Tear stains were scrubbed off his face, and he ran out of the building. He needed to pick up some makeup. Now he understood the bottles Jaewon had used and the amount of them. 

He was so tired though. The subway seemed like the easiest and least problematic way home. Dongho was nodding off as the train pulled away from the station. He heard a squeal, was he being recognized? It was too late to interact with fans. He was too tired to care. His head was being pulled to the left. There was support under it so he gave in. His neck throbbed under the weight of his head. 

_Click_

Dongho's eyes shot open. Someone was taking a picture. He scanned the train, looking for the camera shutter that took the picture. He looked at the person who's shoulder he was laying on and tried to sit upright. It was a woman. _Frik_. She had her hand on his knee and was practically forcing him to stay on her shoulder. Every part of him screamed run, but the damage was done. The picture had been taken, and probably uploaded. 

Dongho felt extremely exhausted, but maybe this photo will blow up just enough to satisfy his boss. He didn't like the feeling of restraint the female was forced upon him. As soon as the train stopped, Dongho got off. It wasn't his stop, nor he didn't know where he was, but he made the mistake of scrolling through social media. He was the only one who did. Minsoo was too busy with games, Jaewon too scared for the media's backlash, and Daehyun only on the busking forums.

Dongho kept up with the news on Mayhem. Guilt flooded his body as he scrolled past the news on Jaewon. He knew about the scandals, but them being orchestrated? He kicked himself for not knowing how much his bandmate was suffering under the pressure. 

The cool air kissed his skin as his screen beeped. The photo had indeed gone viral and the fan's reactions were anything but positive. 

-

**_Allegation: Mayhem's D.Min is under fire for sexual assault._ **

**_Repatch: Mayhem has 2 Womanizers now._ **

**_MostKpop: HCE under fire for Kang Dongho's assault on an innocent fan._ **

**_Hot Kpop News: Kang Dongho or D.Min of Mayhem has been caught sexually harassing a young woman on the local subway._ **

**mayhem4ever** : Ew, Dongho really did that? He's all over her.

 **daehyun_is_my_bae** : How dare he force himself on her. She looks so uncomfortable.

 **Minwoo123** : I can't believe this is my bias. 

**minsoo_marry_me** : Ew. Mayhem has 2 of them now? How sad Daehyun and Minsoo must be to be forced into a group with them.

 **Mayhem_officalupdates** : The girl posted a statement too! "I can't believe I was assaulted by an Idol. His fame made me uncomfortable to shake him off. I'm doing okay, just a little shaken by the encounter. I don't want you guys to unstan MAYHEM because of me!"

 **SweetChaos123** : She's so sweet, but this just doesn't sit well with me. Maybe I should check out SA1NT.

[12.4k likes]

-

Tears dripped onto the phone. The scandal was made, but his reputation trampled on. His phone buzzed with the time and date of his next meeting with the CEO. There was the feeling of impending doom. Was this what Jaewon felt every day? Dongho went home, eventually to just drop off into the blackness of sleep. 

His dreams were empty. He was falling and there was no place to land. Wanter engulfed him, he was drowning. There was no air anywhere. Dongho felt his eyes burn and his lungs tighten. So much liquid was everywhere. The CEO's face was laughing, pulling him deeper.

Dongho awoke in a cold sweat, panting. Sleep was too scary. He still felt like he was drowning, but from what? Dongho made a note to pick up some sleeping pills. He needed to sleep sometime, no matter how impossible it might seem. 

Dongho arrived at the office early the next morning. He was disheveled after a sleepless night; Dongho hadn't gotten any more sleep after he woke up. It seemed to radiate hate and anger, but CEO Park was smiling. He was so happy about Dongho's utter humiliation? It figures. He moved to take a seat but was directed back to the ground.

"I did what you asked."

"Beg." 

There was no hesitation in pressing himself to the ground this time. As he felt the weight of the shoe on his neck, all he could think was of Jaewon's smiling face. Jaewon was safe now. Jaewon wouldn't have to feel this anymore. An internal smile warmed him, just a little. 

"Please let me take Wyld's place as the womanizer of the group. Please..." It disgusted him, the face of innocent Jaewon was forced to do this, and the fact he was _begging_ to take the place as the most scandalous member of Mayhem.

Pain erupted in his back, all over. He was unable to think, it hurt so badly. The CEO was stomping all over him. Still, the streams of begging didn't cease their flow from Dongho's mouth. Even when his head was snapped side to side, even when blood trickled from his nose. 

"Please. I'll do anything. I'll make myself into anything you need."

"Alright." 

Dongho never thought he'd be so relieved to subject himself to abuse. 

He worked so hard to force himself into the stifling box laid out for him. There were so many guys, girls, cameras, and news articles. He couldn't breathe after all the pressure. It was like his dream, he was drowning in the media. 

\- 

Jaewon was wondering why he wasn't called into the CEO's office. It had been three months and he hadn't heard any words about any scandal he was involved in. Out of curiosity, he looked up Mayhem online and was shocked by the search results. Page after page of scandals filled the screen.

_But they weren't about him. They were about Dongho._

Dongho was with a blond, brunette, women of all kinds. Famous or not. As Jaewon scrolled through the articles, he saw the tainted touch of CEO Park. Dongho was subject to everything Jaewon had been. He'd been bearing it alone when this was his burden to bear.

Why?

Why had Dongho thrown every ounce of self-respect and pride out the window? Jaewon only had one conclusion. Dongho had found out about him and taken the force. Jaewon had never run so quickly. Dongho had just left and maybe Jaewon could stop the older male. He was a little too late and just watched.

Dongho didn't hesitate, putting his bag in the corner and pressing himself to the floor in front of their boss. He did it so naturally, and it made Jaewon sick. He watched as Dongho's neck was shoved downward, and then kicked. There were so many blows landing on Dongho's body. Jaewon wanted to throw up. The CEO mainly talked down to him, hitting sparsely. But the way Dongho was acting, this seemed _normal_. 

The screens in the office lit up with Dongho's latest scandal, and if possible, Dongho shrunk closer to the ground. 

When Dongho exited the room, he managed to get ten feet without falling over. A hiss escaped his lips and Jaewon rushed to help him up. Dongho was pale, bruised, and sleep-deprived. Jaewon felt so guilty. Dongho had done this and he hadn't noticed.

"Dongho why-"

Jaewon was hushed with a finger to his lips. 

"Jaewon it's okay. I asked him to do it."

"Why?"

"So you wouldn't have to."

Jaewon looked at the bruised body of the older male. He couldn't keep pushing like this, at all. It wasn't healthy, not that what he had been doing was any better. Dongho had struggled to his feet, straining to free himself from Jaewon's grasp. His neck was so sore. There wasn't anything he could do about it though; the bruising made the skin too tender to treat. 

Dongho rose though, forcing himself to carry on. Jaewon begged him not to do it any longer, but Dongho ignored him. He endured it, pills helped him sleep for small periods of time. Makeup hid his injuries, and muscle cream soothed his skin. 

Nothing eased his mind, though. The pressure and publicity were pushing on all the members. They shot forward in the music ranks, winning award after award. Minsoo was still slightly worried about their rise to fame, especially since news of Dongho's scandals had reached his ears as well. It was so out of character. Jaewon had told him most of _his_ scandals weren't his fault. Was the same true for Dongho?

-

Daehyun was fiddling with his phone one day when Dongho left. He had said it was for a meeting, but Minsoo was unsure. Daehyun was yanked from his seat as the two of them followed to watch. Dongho seemed to shrink as they neared HCE's building. The two members watched, horror filling their eyes as they watched the strongest member of their group lay on the floor to appease a power-hungry boss.

"Minsoo, take a picture."

"We'll get in trouble."

"But just _LOOK_."

"Fine, fine." 

Minsoo snapped a picture through the door's window. Daehyun turned as he felt a tap on his shoulder. Jaewon was standing there, a plastic bag full of salves and food in his arms. Hurt flickered across Minsoo and Daehyun's faces. 

_Jaewon had known and not told them._

"How long has this been going on, Jaewon?" Minsoo asked, his voice slightly accusatory.

And then Jaewon's face crumpled. He told them everything from the bruises to the orchestrated scandals. How he was originally the scapegoat, but Dongho had found out and changed the roles. How no matter what Jaewon said, Dongho had mustered enough strength to take it. It had been months, but Dongho was still surviving. 

Then Dongho emerged. He was so shocked to see everyone waiting for him, Jaewon having food, of which he managed to eat half of it. Jaewon had overbought and there was enough for everyone to enjoy a quick meal. Everyone looked so grim, and Jaewon's face told him everything. 

"I'm not stopping."

"Why?" It was Daehyun whose eyes had filled with tears at the beaten body of the older male. 

"If I stop, one of you will have to deal with this."

"At least tell us." Minsoo was seething. He wouldn't admit to caring, but gosh, he cared so much.

Dongho placed an arm on Minsoo's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"You should be! We were so worried. You looked lighter than ever and you're supposed to be the one with the best body!" Minsoo poked Dongho's head softly.

"Let's just go home," Daehyun suggested. "We can figure out everything later."

_-_

_Mayhem was successful for years after that. There was no stopping to the endless pain and abuse Dongho endured, but it lessened, and his and Jaewon's reputations recovered when the picture was posted. The CEO wasn't replaced, but the physical abuse stopped. Words still sliced as Dongho, and some scandals were forced, but never to the previous extent. For Mayhem, that was enough. For Dongho, it was enough they were all there with him._

**Author's Note:**

> did yall like the new version?
> 
> I'm pretty happy with it.


End file.
